UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PnBLICATIOHS 

COLLEGE  OE  AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 


Cocoanut  Meal  as  a  Feed  for  Dairy  Cows 

and  Other  Livestock 


BY 

F.  W.  WOLL 


BULLETIN  No.  335 

November,  1921 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PRESS 
BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 


David  P.  Barrows,  President  of  the  University. 


EXPERIMENT  STATION  STAFF 

HEADS    OF   DIVISIONS 

Thomas  Forsyth  Hunt,  Dean. 

Edward  J.  Wickson,  Horticulture  (Emeritus). 

,  Director  of  Resident  Instruction. 

C.  M.  Haring,  Veterinary  Science,  Director  of  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 

B.  H.  Crocheron,  Director  of  Agricultural  Extension. 

James  T.  Barrett,  Plant  Pathology,  Acting  Director  of  Citrus  Experiment  Station. 
Hubert  E.  Van  Norman,  Dairy  Management. 
William  A.  Setchell,  Botany. 
Myer  E.  Jaffa,  Nutrition. 
Ralph  E.  Smith,  Plant  Pathology. 
John  W.  Gilmore,  Agronomy. 
Charles  F.  Shaw,  Soil  Technology. 
John  W.  Gregg,  Landscape  Gardening  and  Floriculture. 
Frederic  T.  Bioletti,  Viticulture  and  Fruit  Products. 
Warren  T.  Clarke,  Agricultural  Extension. 
Ernest  B.  Babcock,  Genetics. 
Gordon  H.  True,  Animal  Husbandry. 
Walter  Mulford,  Forestry. 
Fritz  W.  Woll,  Animal  Nutrition 
W.  P.  Kelley,  Agricultural  Chemistry 
H.  J.  Quayle,  Entomology 
Elwood  Mead,  Rural  Institutions 
H.  S.  Reed,  Plant  Physiology 
L.  D.  Batchelor,  Orchard  Management. 
J.  C.  Whitten,  Pomology 
*Frank  Adams,  Irrigation  Investigations. 

C.  L.  Roadhouse,  Dairy  Industry. 
R.  L.  Adams,  Farm  Management 

W.  B.  Herms,  Entomology  and  Parasitology. 

F.  L.  Griffin,  Agricultural  Education 
John  E.  Dougherty,  Poultry  Husbandry. 

D.  R.  Hoagland,  Plant  Nutrition. 

G.  H.  Hart,  Veterinary  Science. 

L.  J.  Fletcher,  Agricultural  Engineering. 
Edwin  C.  Voorhies,  Assistant  to  the  Dean. 

division  of  animal  husbandry 
G.  H.  True  J.  F.  Wilson 

F.  W.  Woll  E.  C.  Voorhies 

R.  F.  Miller  G.  H.  Wilson 

E.  E.  Hughes  W.  E.  Tomson 

0.  E.  Howell  Arthur  Folger 


*  In  cooperation  with  office  of  Public  Roads  and  Rural  Engineering,   U.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture. 


COCOANUT  MEAL  AS  A   FEED   FOR   DAIRY 
COWS   AND   OTHER   LIVESTOCK 


By  F.  W.  WOLL 


Cocoanut  meal  is  comrnonty  fed  to  dairy  cows  in  California  and 
also,  to  some  extent,  to  beef  cattle,  hogs,  and  ponltry — to  the  last  class 
of  farm  animals  as  a  component  of  commercial  mixed  feeds.  During 
the  past  half-dozen  years,  the  quantities  of  cocoanut  meal  sold  in  the 
State  have  increased  enormously,  owing  to  war  conditions  which  closed 
the  European  market  for  the  raw  material  from  which  it  is  made, 
thus  preventing  the  manufacture  of  the  meal  there  and  its  utilization 
for  stock  feeding. 

Cocoanut  meal  is  likely,  as  the  years  go  by,  to  retain  the  important 
position  among  our  available  feeding  stuffs  which  it  has  reached,  and 
even  to  increase  in  importance.  It  seems  desirable,  therefore,  to 
furnish  some  detailed  information  as  to  the  origin  of  this  oil  meal 
and  its  value  and  use  in  feeding  different  classes  of  live  stock,  in  order 
that  our  farmers  generally  may  become  acquainted  with  both  its  good 
and  its  less  desirable  qualities,  and  may  use  it  in  their  feeding  oper- 
ations whenever  its  cost  makes  it  economical  in  comparison  with  other 
valuable  stock  feeds.  Hence  this  bulletin  has  been  prepared,  covering 
the  subjects  stated  and  also  including  the  results  of  recent  feeding 
experiments  with  cocoanut  meal  at  the  University  Farm  in  which  its 
special  value  as  a  component  of  grain  rations  for  dairy  cows  was 
studied. 

Origin. — Cocoanut  meal  is  a  by-product  of  the  manufacture  of 
cocoanut  oil  from  copra,  the  dried,  broken  pieces  of  cocoanut  meats. 
Cocoanuts  are  the  fruit  of  the  cocoanut  palm  (Cocus  nacifera),  which 
is  grown  extensively  in  coastal  regions  of  the  tropics,  especially  in 
the  East  Indies,  Australia,  the  Philippines  and  other  islands  in  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  and  in  South  America  and  Africa.  Its  culture  in  these 
regions  has  greatly  increased  during  recent  years. 

The  raw  copra  is  either  imported  as  such  into  the  Pacific  Coast 
ports,  mainly  San  Francisco,  or  is  manufactured  abroad  into  cocoanut 
cake  from  which  the  meal  is  obtained  by  grinding.  The  following 
figures  show  the  total  importations  of  each  article  into  San  Francisco, 
Los  Angeles,  Portland,  and  Seattle,  1915  to  1920. 


242  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Importations  of  Copra  and  Cocoanut  Cake  into  Pacific  Coast  Ports, 

1915-1920 

Copra  Cocoanut  cake 

in  tons  in  tons 

1915 38,385                        

1916 46,416                        

1917 103,790                        

1918 . 198,188                        

1919 121,353  5,308 

1920 99,632  59,073 

The  cocoanut  palm  furnishes  three  important  articles  of  commerce : 
the  fiber  obtained  from  the  outer  shell  of  the  nut,  the  copra,  and  the 
oil.  The  oil  makes  up  from  one-half  to  two-thirds  of  the  dried  copra, 
according  to  the  degree  of  ripeness  of  the  nuts;  it  is  removed  by 
pressure  or  by  extraction,  leaving  a  residue  in  the  form  of  slabs  or 
cakes  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  thick.  These  are  usually  ground 
into  a  meal  before  being  sold  for  stock  feeding;  sometimes,  however, 
they  are  simply  broken  into  pieces  about  the  size  of  walnuts  and  in 
that  form  fed  to  the  stock.  Fresh  cocoanut  meal  has  a  pleasant 
aromatic,  nutty  flavor,  and  is  of  a  light  gray  to  brownish  color.  It 
is,  as  a  rule,  much  relished  by  cattle  and  sheep,  and  is  also  used  for 
feeding  other  farm  stock.  It  differs  in  chemical  composition  from  our 
other  common  oil  meals,  such  as  linseed  or  cottonseed  meal,  in  that 
it  contains  considerably  less  protein  and,  usually,  more  fat  than  they 
contain.  In  composition  it  resembles  more  closely  gluten  than  any 
of  the  other  concentrates,  and  in  its  feeding  value  is  considered  of 
similar  rank  with  that  important  eastern  dairy  feed. 

Chemical  Composition. — The  chemical  composition  of  cocoanut 
meal  varies  considerably  according  to  the  quality  of  the  raw  material 
used  and  the  method  of  manufacture,  especially  with  reference  to  the 
extent  to  which  the  oil  is  removed  in  the  manufacturing  process.  The 
following  table  gives  the  average  composition,  with  ranges  in  different 
components,  of  seventeen  samples  of  cocoanut  meal  analyzed  during 
the  last  few  years  in  the  chemical  laboratories  of  the  Division  of 
Nutrition  of  the  University  of  California  and  the  State  Bureau  of 
Foods  and  Drugs. 

Chemical  Composition  of  Cocoanut  Meal,  in  Per  Cent 

Average  Ranges 


Moisture  

10.55 

6.9-15.7 

Protein  

20.69 

18.5-22.4 

Fat  

8.78 

6.5-10.7 

Fiber    

9.60 

5.7-14.7 

N-free  extract  .. 

44.41 

39.6-49.5 

Ash 

5.97 

5.1-  7.0 

100.00 


Bulletin  335]  COCOANUT  MEAL  FOR  DAIRY  COWS  243 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  protein  content  of  the  cocoanut  meal  found 
on  the  market  at  the  present  time  is  close  to  20  per  cent,  ranging  from 
18  per  cent  to  over  22  per  cent,  while  the  fat  content  ranges  from 
6  per  cent  to  over  10  per  cent  (average  about  8  per  cent).  Analyses 
of  imported  meal  containing  over  20  per  cent  fat  are  occasionally 
met  with,  however,  making  fat  the  most  variable  component  of  the 
meal.    The  fiber  content  ranges  from  6  per  cent  to  nearly  15  per  cent. 

Digestibility. — The  digestibility  of  cocoanut  meal  has  been  deter- 
mined by  several  investigators  in  experiments  with  sheep,  steers,  and 
pigs.  The  results  have  shown  the  percentage  digestibility  of  the  various 
components  to  vary  as  follows : 

Digestibility  of  Cocoanut  Meal,  with  Variations,  in  Per  Cent 

Ranges  Average 

Dry  matter  75-  90  82 

Crude  protein  75-  90  85 

Fat    96-100  98 

Fiber  23-  73  50 

Nitrogen-free   extract    (starch,   etc.)       80-  87  83 

These  results  show  that  cocoanut  meal  has  a  very  high  digestibility, 
ranking  well  up  with  the  other  oil  meals  and  the  cereal  grains  in  this 
respect,  and  considerably  above  the  flour-mill  feeds  and  other  factory 
by-products. 

Figures  for  the  total  digestible  components  of  cocoanut  meal  are 
given  in  the  following  table,  in  which  are  also  included,  for  the  sake 
of  comparison,  a  few  concentrates  common  in  this  State — cottonseed 
meal,  barley,  wheat  bran,  and  dried  beet  pulp. 

Digestible  Components  of  Cocoanut  Meal  and  Other  Concentrates, 

in  Per  Cent 

Cocoanut      Cottonseed  Wheat  Dried 

meal  meal  Barley  bran  beet  pulp 

Dry  matter  73.3  72.9  78.5  57.3  61.2 

Protein  17.6  34.0  9.4  12.0  4.2 

Fat  8.6  8.1  1.4  2.7 

Fiber    4.8  3.2  2.4  2.8  14.5 

Nitrogen-free  extract    (starch, 

etc.)    36.8  20.8  63.2  38.8  50.5 

Ash  3.8  4.2  1.0  1.8  1.2 

Digestible    carbohydrates    and 

fat    61.0  42.2  69.8  47.7  65.0 

Nutritive  ratio,  1: 3.5  1.2  7.4  4.0  15.5 

Cocoanut  meal,  as  found  on  the  market  at  the  present  time,  has 
a  higher  percentage  digestibility  and  contains  more  total  digestible 


244  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

nutrients  than  wheat  bran  or  dried  beet  pulp,  and  ranks  close  to 
cottonseed  meal  and  barley,  both  in  digestibility  and  in  total  nutritive 
components.  Its  content  of  digestible  protein  is  higher  than  that  in 
the  other  feeds  given,  except  cottonseed  meal.  It  compares  well  with 
barley  and  dried  beet  pulp  in  content  of  digestible  carbohydrates  and 
fat,  and  in  this  respect  exceeds  both  cottonseed  meal  and  wheat  bran 
by  15  to  20  per  cent.  The  nutritive  ratio  of  cocoanut  meal,  while 
wider  than  that  of  cottonseed  meal,  our  most  concentrated  protein 
feed  of  vegetable  origin,  is  close  to  that  of  wheat  bran  and  considerably 
narrower  than  that  of  barley  or  beet  pulp.  In  other  words,  cocoanut 
meal  has  a  relatively  higher  percentage  of  digestible  protein  than  all 
these  feeds  except  cottonseed  meal,  and  is  therefore  well  adapted  to 
supplement  starchy  feeds,  like  the  cereal  grains  and  beet  pulp,  or  most 
medium  protein  feeds,  like  wheat  bran,  middlings,  or  shorts,  in  com- 
pounding rations  for  farm  stock. 

Net  Energy  Values. — Another  method  of  expressing  the  compara- 
tive nutritive  value  of  feeding  stuffs  is  afforded  by  the  use  of  the 
energy  values  worked  out  during  recent  years  by  leading  investigators, 
in  this  country  mainly  by  Armsby,  of  Pennsylvania.  The  figures  for 
the  net  energy  values  of  the  concentrates  given  above  are,  in  decreas- 
ing order,  cottonseed  meal,  90.0 ;  ground  barley,  89.9 ;  linseed  meal, 
88.9 ;  cocoanut  meal,  83.5 ;  dried  beet  pulp,  75.9,  and  wheat  bran,  53. 0.1 
These  figures  indicate  relative  values  substantially  similar  to  those 
given  above,  which  are  based  on  the  contents  of  digestible  components 
in  the  different  feeds. 

Guarantees. — Cocoanut  meal  is  generally  sold  in  this  State  on  a 
guarantee  of  a  minimum  crude  protein  content  of  21  per  cent,  a  mini- 
mum fat  content  of  6  per  cent,  and  a  maximum  fiber  content  of  10 
per  cent.  The  contents  of  these  components  must  be  guaranteed  under 
the  State  Feed  Law,  and  purchasers  should  see  to  it  that  labels  or 
sacks  give  printed  guarantees  and  otherwise  conform  to  the  pro- 
visions of  the  law.  In  case  of  sale  of  meal  of  apparently  inferior 
quality,  or  abnormal  in  any  way,  the  matter  should  be  reported 
promptly  for  investigation  to  the  Director  of  the  State  Bureau  of 
Foods  and  Drugs,  Berkeley,  who  is  charged  with  the  enforcement 
of  the  Feed  Control  Law. 

There  is  some  difference  of  opinion  in  regard  to  the  quality  and 
value  of  the  imported  cocoanut  cake  or  meal  in  comparison  with  the 
domestic  material  obtained  as  a  by-product  in  the  manufacture  of 
cocoanut   oil   at   Pacific    Coast  mills.      A   few   shiploads    of   foreign 


i  Armsby,  The  Nutrition  of  Farm  Animals,  pp.  718-720. 


Bulletin  335]  COCOANUT   MEAL   FOR  DAIRY   COWS  245 

cocoanut  cake  that  were  heavily  infested  with  weevils  have  been 
received  of  late  years,  but  this  is  as  likely  to  occur  with  raw  copra  as 
with  the  cake  or  meal.  Our  present  knowledge  of  the  quality  and 
chemical  composition  of  cocoanut  meal  of  different  origins  is  not 
sufficiently  complete  to  warrant  an  expression  of  opinion  as  to  relative 
feeding  values,  or  as  to  the  relative  economy  of  meal  crushed  in  this 
country  and  that  imported  from  different  countries  of  the  Orient. 

Feeding  Value. — As  would  be  expected  from  its  chemical  composi- 
tion and  digestibility,  cocoanut  meal  has  a  high  feeding  value  and 
forms  a  valuable  source  of  digestible  protein,  carbohydrates,  and  fat, 
as  well  as  mineral  matter,  for  feeding  farm  stock.  Direct  feeding 
experiments  at  the  Massachusetts  Experiment  Station2  have  shown 
that  it  compares  well  in  nutritive  effect  with  gluten  feed,  one  of 
the  favorite  feeds  with  the  dairymen  in  eastern  and  central  states. 
Experiments  at  the  Florida  and  Texas  stations  have  likewise  furnished 
evidence  as  to  its  value  in  feeding  dairy  cows.  The  results  of  experi- 
ments at  the  former  Station3  led  to  the  conclusion  that  a  unit  of  pro- 
tein in  cocoanut  meal  is  very  nearly,  though  not  quite  equal  to  a  unit 
of  protein  in  cottonseed  meal,  and,  according  to  the  Texas  experi- 
ments,4 for  dairy  cows  cocoanut  meal  is  practically  equal  to  cotton- 
seed meal  from  the  standpoint  of  the  cost  of  producing  milk  and 
butter  fat.  Practical  feeding  experience  in  our  own  and  other  Pacific 
Coast  states  has  shown  that  cocoanut  meal  is  a  good  dairy  feed,  and 
may  also  be  used  to  advantage  in  feeding  hogs  and  poultry,  either 
mixed  with  other  concentrates  or  as  a  component  of  special  commercial 
mixed  feeds  that  are  sold  extensively  for  this  purpose  in  this  and 
other  states. 

In  addition  to  being  fed  to  the  farm  animals  mentioned,  cocoanut 
meal  is  used  in  continental  Europe  as  a  partial  substitute  for  oats  in 
rations  for  army  and  work  horses,  and  is  also  fed  to  work  horses  in 
Australia.  It  appears  to  be  well  adapted  to  this  purpose.  As  much 
as  one-fourth  of  the  grain  ration  of  horses  may  be  composed  of  this 
meal  without  any  ill  effects  so  far  as  the  working  capacity  or  the 
general  well-being  of  the  animals  is  concerned,  and  through  its  use 
the  total  cost  of  the  rations  fed  is  considerable  reduced.  These  results 
have  been  corroborated  in  trials  conducted  by  Rommel  and  Hammond, 
of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  at  the  Morgan  Horse  Farm 
in  Vermont.5 


2  J.  B.  Lindsey,  Cocoanut  Meal,  Bulletin  155,  July,  1914. 

3  Bulletin  99,  July,  1909. 

4  Bulletin  225,  March  1918.     See  also  South  Carolina  Exp.  Sta.  Report  1918, 
25;   California  Sta.  Bulletin  132,  p.  18. 

s  U.  S.  D.  A.,  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry,  Circular  168.     Feb.,  1911. 


246  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Market  Price. — The  market  prices  of  feeding  stuffs  have  gradually 
decreased  during  the  past  year  from  those  prevailing  during  and 
directly  after  the  war  period,  until  approximate  pre-war  prices  have 
been  reached  by  the  present  time.  During  a  considerable  part  of  last 
year,  cocoanut  meal  was  nearly  $20.00  cheaper  per  ton  than  wheat 
bran  and  over  $10.00  cheaper  than  rolled  barley.  During  the  first 
nine  months  of  1921,  however,  the  difference  in  the  cost  of  these  feeds 
has  been  greatly  reduced.  The  average  San  Francisco  market  prices 
in  car-load  lots  of  the  feeding  stuffs  given  during  this  period  were 
as  follows,  per  ton :  Wheat  bran  $35.08  ;  rolled  barley  $30.55  ;  cocoanut 
meal  $25.39.  Such  large  differences  in  cost  will  probably  not  continue 
very  long,  but  manufacturers  of  cocoanut  meal  will  most  likely  always 
be  in  a  position  to  meet  the  competition  of  other  feed  manufacturers 
and,  as  previously  suggested,  this  oil  meal  is  well  worth  the  attention 
of  stock-men  even  when  sold  at  similar  prices  as  those  which  other 
common  concentrates  in  this  state  command. 

Palatability. — Cocoanut  meal  is,  as  a  rule,  very  palatable  to  cattle, 
but  less  so  to  hogs  and  other  farm  animals.  In  any  class  of  stock, 
individual  animals,  however,  occasionally  refuse  to  eat  the  meal, 
whether  fresh  or  not ;  but,  by  a  little  coaxing,  and  by  feeding  only 
small  amounts  at  first  (about  a  quarter  of  a  pound)  mixed  with  feeds 
to  which  the  animals  are  accustomed,  the  prejudice  is  generally  easily 
overcome.  When  accustomed  to  the  meal,  dairy  cows  at  least  will 
eat  it  with  relish  in  large  amounts,  sometimes  as  much  as  four  to  six 
pounds  per  head  daily.  In  ordinary  feeding  practice,  however,  cows 
are  not  usually  fed  more  than  two  or  three  pounds  a  day  per  head. 

Oil  Content. — On  account  of  the  high  oil  content  of  cocoanut  meal 
and  the  unstable  character  of  the  oil,  the  meal  will  turn  rancid  if 
kept  in  prolonged  storage.  It  is  then  rather  unpalatable  to  stock, 
and  must  be  fed  in  smaller  amounts  than  usual,  mixed  with  other 
concentrates,  as  should  always  be  the  case.  The  length  of  time  that 
cocoanut  meal  will  keep  sweet  depends  both  on  the  water  and  the  oil 
content  of  the  meal  and  on  the  temperature  and  moisture  conditions 
of  the  air.  There  should  be  no  difficulty  in  keeping  cocoanut  of  good 
quality  sweet  and  fresh  for  at  least  a  couple  of  months. 

The  fresh  meal  as  ordinarily  found  on  the  market  contains  toward 
1  per  cent  of  free  fatty  acids  (on  the  average,  10  per  cent  of  the  total 
fat),  but  this  percentage  is  considerably  increased  when  the  meal  turns 
rancid,  when  it  may  amount  to  as  much  as  1.5  per  cent  of  free  acids. 
So  far  as  is  known,  an  increase  in  the  content  of  free  fatty  acids  is 


Bulletin  335]  COCOANUT  MEAL  FOR  DAIRY  COWS  247 

of  no  special  nutritional  importance,  except  perhaps  in  case  of  poultry 
feeding,  but  it  does  affect  the  palatability  of  the  meal  and  makes  it 
necessary  to  feed  only  moderate  amounts  in  order  to  have  most  of 
the  animals  eat  it. 

Effect  on  Butter  and  Pork. — Cocoanut  meal  fed  to  milk  cows  tends 
to  produce  a  hard  butter  of  excellent  flavor,  and  can  therefore  be 
combined  to  advantage  with  feeding  stuffs  that  have  the  opposite 
influence  on  the  butter,  like  linseed  meal,  rice  feeds,  gluten  meal,  etc. 
The  tendency  to  produce  a  hard  butter  of  rather  poor  texture  is 
especially  marked  if  the  cocoanut  meal  is  fed  heavily.  If  fed  to  hogs, 
this  meal  will  make  a  firm  pork  of  good  quality;  it  is  therefore  of 
value  for  counteracting  the  effect  of  feeds  producing  a  soft  pork,  like 
acorns,  peanuts,  and  those  just  mentioned. 

Aside  from  the  above  noted  specific  effects  on  the  quality  of  the 
butter  fat,  cocoanut  meal  and  a  few  other  feeds  of  this  class  have  been 
reported  to  have  a  beneficial  influence  on  the  milk  secretion  of  cows, 
causing  an  increase  in  the  fat  content  of  the  milk  and  also  retarding 
the  natural  decrease  in  milk  yield  due  to  advancing  lactation.  Experi- 
mental evidence  that  would  substantiate  the  former  claim  has  been 
published,  especially  by  European  scientists,  but  on  account  of  the 
plan  and  scope  of  most  of  these  experiments  it  is  doubtful  whether 
they  establish  conclusively  a  decided  specific  effect  in  the  direction 
mentioned,  nor  has  satisfactory  proof  of  such  an  effect  been  furnished 
from  American  investigations. 

In  view  of  this  fact,  and  because  of  the  present  and  prospective 
importance  of  cocoanut  meal  to  the  dairy  farmers  of  the  State,  it  was 
decided  to  conduct  an  experiment  in  the  use  of  this  meal  with  cows 
in  the  dairy  herd  at  the  University  Farm  during  the  fall  of  1919, 
and  to  make  a  careful  study  both  of  its  effect  on  the  milk  secretion 
of  the  cows  and  of  its  value  as  a  dairy  feed  in  comparison  with 
standard  grain  mixtures  fed  by  California  dairymen. 

FIRST  FEEDING  EXPERIMENT,  1919-1920 

Twenty-four  cows  in  the  University  dairy  herd  were  selected  for 
the  experiment,  and  were  separated  into  three  lots  as  nearly  uniform 
as  possible  as  to  breeding,  age,  body  weight,  and  production  of  milk 
and  butter  fat.  The  experiment  was  divided  into  two  periods  of  six 
weeks  each.  A  week  of  preliminary  feeding  preceded  each  of  these 
periods,  in  which  the  cows  received  the  same  feeds  as  during  the  sub- 
sequent period.     The  lots  were   fed   concentrates    (generally   called 


248 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


"grain"  or  "grain  feed"  by  farmers),  as  shown  below  during  the 
two  periods  of  the  experiment. 


Lot  A. 
Lot  B. 


Lot  C. 


Period  I 
Regular  grain  mixture. 

Regular  grain  mixture  plus  2 
lbs.  of  cocoanut  meal  per  head 
daily. 

Regular  grain  mixture  plus  4 
lbs.  of  cocoanut  meal  per  head 
daily. 


Period  II 
Regular  grain  mixture. 
Regular    grain    mixture    plus    4 

lbs.  of  cocoanut  meal  per  head 

daily.     , 

Regular  grain  mixture  plus  2 
lbs.  of  cocoanut  meal  per  head 
daily. 


The  grain  mixture  was  composed  of  the  following  feeding  stuffs : 
wheat  bran,  300  lbs. ;  rolled  barley,  210  lbs. ;  cottonseed  meal,  200  lbs. ; 
and  dried  beet  pulp,  300  lbs.  Seven  pounds  of  total  concentrates 
were  fed  per  pound  of  butter  fat  produced  by  the  cows,  throughout 
the  experiment;  of  this  amount  two  pounds  were  therefore  cocoa- 
nut  meal,  for  Lots  B  and  C  during  periods  I  and  II,  respectively, 
while  four  pounds  were  fed  to  Lots  B  and  C  during  periods  II  and  I, 
respectively,  as  shown  in  the  table  above.  Lot  A,  which  was  considered 
a  check  lot,  received  the  regular  grain  mixture  throughout  the  experi- 
ment. The  amount  of  concentrates  fed  to  each  cow  was  adjusted  each 
week  on  the  basis  of  her  production  of  butter  fat  during  the  preceding 
week.  In  addition  to  the  grain  rations  fed,  all  cows  received  alfalfa 
hay  and  sweet  sorghum  silage.  All  feeds  were  weighed  out  to  the 
individual  cows  twice  a  day,  except  the  hay,  which  was  weighed  out 
for  all  the  cows  once  a  d&y  and  fed  in  racks  in  the  corral,  the  amounts 
being  apportioned  equally  among  the  cows. 

All  conditions  surrounding  the  cows  were  made  as  uniform  as 
possible,  with  the  exception  of  the  difference  in  the  grain  ration  noted, 
and  conformed  to  the  regular  routine  adopted  for  the  care  and  man- 
agement of  the  dairy  herd.  The  milk  of  the  individual  cows  was 
weighed  at  each  milking,  and  composite  samples  were  taken  and  tested 
once  a  week  for  butter  fat  and  solids  (Lactometer  method).  The  cows 
were  weighed  on  two  consecutive  days  at  the  beginning  and  at  the 
close  of  the  experiment,  and  regularly  once  a  week  during  its  progress. 
The  preliminary  feeding  commenced  October  5,  1919,  and  the  experi- 
ment proper  commenced  on  October  15  and  was  continued  for  thirteen 
weeks,  till  January  14,  1920.  The  following  statement  will  show  the 
average  production  of  the  three  lots  the  week  before  the  experiment 
commenced,  with  other  data  that  have  a  bearing  on  the  production. 


Lot   III 

3-11 

180 

6 

1115 

18.6 

0.80 

4.30 

Bulletin  335]  COCOANUT   MEAL   FOR  DAIRY   COWS  249 


Average  Data  for  Each  Lot  at  Beginning  of  Trial 

Lot    I  Lot    II 

Age  in  years  and  months 4-7  5-10 

Days  from  last  calving 150  175 

Due  to  calve  in — months 6  6 

Body  weights,  in  lbs 1115  1126 

Milk  yield  per  day,  in  lbs 19.2  18.7 

Butter  fat,  in  lbs , 0.80  0.82 

Average  per  cent  of  fat 4.17  4.39 


It  will  be  noted  that  the  average  production  of  butter  fat  by  the 
cows  in  the  three  lots  was  practically  the  same,  and  that  other  imporant 
factors  agreed  as  closely  as  could  be  expected  with  the  limited  number 
of  cows  in  the  dairy  herd  from  which  to  choose.  The  cows  included 
in  the  experiment  were  partly  pure-bred  and  partly  grade  dairy  cows, 
the  different  lots  containing  approximately  the  same  number  of  pure- 
breds  and  grades,  and  of  representatives  of  the  various  dairy  breeds. 

The  experiment  progressed  without  serious  mishaps,  except  that  it 
became  necessary  to  take  out  several  cows  during  its  progress  and 
substitute  others  in  their  places  on  account  of  sickness  or  a  marked 
decrease  in  their  milk  flow  due  to  approaching  close  of  the  lactation 
period.  When  changes  became  necessary,  new  cows  were  placed  in 
the  different  lots  in  such  a  way  as  to  leave  the  relation  between  the 
production  of  these  lots  unchanged  so  far  as  possible.  Six  cows  in 
each  of  Lots  A  and  B,  and  seven  cows  in  Lot  C  were  kept  on  the 
experiment  from  its  beginning  to  the  end.  Average  data  for  these 
cows  have  been  calculated  separately,  since  it  was  considered  that  they 
might  furnish  more  satisfactory  results  for  a  study  of  the  specific 
effects  of  the  cocoanut  meal  feeding  than  the  data  for  all  the  cows 
included  during  the  whole  or  a  part  of  the  experimental  period. 

Summary  of  Results. — The  total  and  average  amounts  of  milk, 
total  solids,  and  butter  fat  produced  by  the  cows  during  the  experi- 
ment are  shown  in  the  following  table,  which  also  gives  the  average 
daily  milk  production,  the  average  per  cent  of  solids  and  butter  fat 
in  the  milk,  and  the  average  body  weight  of  the  cows  in  the  various  lots. 


250 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Summary  of  the  Results  of  the  First  Experiment,  1919-1920 


Total  milk  produced,  lbs 

Total  solids,  lbs 

Total  fat,  lbs 

Average  per  cent  solids 

Average  per  cent  fat 

Average  per  cent  solids  not  fat* 

Average  body  weights,  lbs 

Average  production  per  head  daily: 

Milk,  lbs 

Solids,  lbs 

Butterfat,  lb 

*  By  difference. 


Check  lot 

No  Cocoanut 

meal 

2  lbs. 

Cocoanut 

meal 

4  lbs. 

Cocoanut 

meal 

12899.8 

12120.0 

11381.8 

1733.6 

1688.7 

1596.9 

544.45 

565.80 

548.83 

13.4 

13.9 

14.0 

4.22 

4.67 

4.82 

9.2 

9.2 

9.2 

1145 

1177 

1140 

18.1 

17.2 

16.3 

2.43 

2.39 

2.25 

.763 

.801 

.777 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  total  amount  of  milk  produced  by  the  check 
lot  was  6  per  cent  higher  than  that  produced  by  the  two  other  lots 
when  receiving  two  pounds  of  cocoanut  meal  daily,  and  12  per  cent 
higher  than  the  amount  produced  when  they  received  four  pounds  of 
cocoanut  meal.  The  production  of  butter  fat  resulting  from  the  feed- 
ing of  two  pounds  of  cocoanut  meal,  on  the  other  hand,  was  3.9  per  cent 
higher  than  that  of  the  check  lot,  and  that  obtained  when  four  pounds 
of  cocoanut  meal  were  fed  was  0.8  per  cent  higher  than  that  of  the 
check  lot.  The  latter  difference,  at  any  rate,  is  too  small  to  be  of 
practical  significance. 

The  reason  for  the  difference  in  the  two  sets  of  figures  for  pro- 
duction of  milk  and  butter  fat  is  shown  to  lie  in  the  fact  that  the  milk 
produced  on  the  cocoanut  meal  feeding  contained  a  somewhat  higher 
percentage  of  fat,  viz.,  .45  per  cent  higher  than  the  check  lot  for  the 
cows  when  fed  two  pounds  of  cocoanut  meal,  and  .60  per  cent  higher 
when  four  pounds  of  cocoanut  meal  were  fed.  It  will  be  seen  that 
the  per  cent  of  solids  not  fat  in  the  milk  remained  the  same  for  the 
different  lots  throughout  the  experiment. 

In  studying  the  significance  of  these  figures,  it  should  be  borne 
in  mind  that  only  the  summary  results  for  the  two  lots  fed  two  and 
four  pounds  of  cocoanut  meal,  respectively,  are  directly  comparable. 
The  cows  in  the  check  lot  were  not  fed  cocoanut  meal  at  any  time,  and 
the  results  of  these  experiments,  therefore,  only  in  a  general  way 
furnish  information  as  to  the  change  in  the  quality  of  the  milk  that 
may  result  from  the  feeding  of  cocoanut  meal. 

The  corresponding  data  for  the  cows  that  were  kept  on  the  experi- 
ment to  the  end  are  shown  in  the  following  table : 


2  lbs. 

Cocoanut 

meal 

4  lbs. 

Cocoanut 

meal 

19.7 

17.9 

2.74 

2.52 

.908 

.847 

13.9 

14.1 

4.61 

4.73 

9.3 

9.4 

1194 

1143 

Bulletin  335]  COCOANUT  MEAL  FOR  DAIRY  COWS  251 

Average  Eesults  for  Nineteen  Cows 

Check 
lot 
Average  daily  production  per  head: 

Milk,  lbs 18.8 

Solids,  lbs 2.51 

Butterfat,  lb .774 

Per  cent  solids 13.4 

Per  cent  fat 4.12 

Per  cent  solids  not  fat* 9.3 

Average  body  weight,  lbs 1159 

*  By  difference. 

By  comparing  the  production  of  the  cows  fed  cocoanut  meal  with 
that  of  the  check  lot  fed  the  regular  grain  mixture,  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  average  milk  yield  was  somewhat  higher  for  the  lots  fed  two  pounds 
cocoanut  meal  than  for  the  check  lot  (an  increase  of  0.9  pound  per 
head  daily,  or  nearly  5  per  cent),  and  a  corresponding  decrease 
occurred  when  four  pounds  of  cocoanut  meal  was  fed.  The  light 
feeding  of  cocoanut  meal,  on  the  other  hand,  resulted  in  a  gain  of 
0.134  pound  of  butter  fat  per  head  daily  (or  about  17  per  cent)  over 
that  of  the  check  lot ;  and  the  heavy  cocoanut  feeding  resulted  in  a 
gain  against  the  check  lot  of  only  0.73  pound  of  butter  fat  per  head 
daily  (or  about  9%  per  cent). 

As  in  the  preceding  case,  the  yields  for  the  four-pound  periods  were 
somewhat  lower  than  for  the  two-pound  periods.  The  improvement 
in  the  quality  of  the  milk  for  the  four-pound  periods  was,  however, 
again  greater  than  for  the  two-pound  periods. 

It  is  important  to  ascertain  how  far  the  effect  of  the  feeding  of 
cocoanut  meal  noted  occurred  uniformly  for  all  cows  included  in  Lots 
B  and  C.  Since  a  gradual  increase  in  the  per  cent  of  fat  as  a  rule 
occurs  with  advancing  lactation,  the  results  must  be  studied  in  view 
of  this  fact.  In  the  case  of  the  check  lot,  the  average  per  cent  of  fat 
in  the  milk  of  all  six  cows  was  .56  higher  during  Period  II  than 
during  Period  I  (ranges  .03  to  .90).  The  average  for  the  cows  in 
Lot  B  was  .65  per  cent  higher  in  Period  II  (four  pounds  cocoanut 
meal)  than  in  Period  I  (ranges,  .16  to  .83  per  cent  for  five  cows,  the 
milk  of  one  cow  being  .49  per  cent  lower  in  Period  II  than  during 
Period  1).  Turning  to  Lot  C,  we  find  that  the  feeding  of  two  pounds 
of  cocoanut  meal  in  Period  II  was  likewise  accompanied  by  an  im- 
provement in  the  average  quality  of  the  milk,  as  compared  with  that 
produced  during  Period  I  (four  pounds  cocoanut  meal),  the  fat  con- 
tent of  the  milk  of  six  cows  being  increased  from  .10  per  cent  to  60 


252 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


per  cent,  the  milk  of  one  cow  showing  a  decrease  of  .17  per  cent  in 
Period  II  over  Period  I.  The  improvement  in  the  average  quality 
of  the  milk  of  Lot  C  during  Period  II  was  therefore  smaller  than 
that  obtained  in  the  case  of  the  two  other  lots. 

While  not  very  conclusive,  these  results  indicate  that  the  feeding 
of  cocoanut  meal  has  a  tendency  to  increase  the  fat  content  of  the 
milk,  the  effect  of  heavy  feeding  being  more  marked  than  that  of  light 
feeding.  The  plan  of  the  experiment  will  hardly  warrant  a  more 
definite  statement  as  to  the  effect  of  cocoanut  meal  on  the  per  cent 
of  fat  in  the  milk.  In  order  to  secure  more  direct  evidence  on  this 
point,  if  possible,  it  was  decided  to  repeat  the  experiment  on  a  some- 
what different  plan  with  other  groups  of  cows  in  the  University  dairy 
herd  during  the  summer  of  1920.  An  account  of  this  second  experi- 
ment follows  the  discussion  of  the  present  one. 

Feed  Eaten  by  the  CWs.— The  total  amounts  of  feed  eaten  by 
the  different  lots  during  the  experiment  are  shown  in  the  following 
table,  which  also  gives  the  average  rations  eaten  by  the  cows,  and  the 
dry  matter  and  digestible  matter  contained  in  them.  The  chemical 
analyses  were  made  in  the  Nutrition  Laboratories  at  Berkeley,  through 
the  kindness  of  Professor  M.  E.  Jaffa,  Head  of  the  Division  of  Nutrition 
of  the  University.  Average  digestion  coefficients  were  assumed  in 
calculating  the  digestible  components  of  the  various  feeds  and  rations. 


Feed  Eaten  by  the  Cows,  in  Pounds 

Chock  lot  2  lbs. 

No  Cocoanut  Cocoanut 

meal  meal 
Total  amounts  of  feed  eaten : 

Alfalfa  hay  18940  18858 

Sorghum  silage 12264  12726 

Grain  mixture  3759.2  2848.4 

Cocoanut  meal  — 1393.0 

Average  rations  eaten: 

Alfalfa  hay  26.5  26.4 

Sorghum  silage  17.2  17.8 

Grain  mixture  5.3  3.7 

Cocoanut  meal ....  2.0 

Dry  matter  in  ration 32.7  33.0 

Digestible  protein  4.18  4.33 

Digestible  carbohydrate  and  fat           14.83  15.28 

Total  digestible  nutrients 19.01  19.61 

Nutritive  ratio,  1 :  3.5  3.5 


4  lbs. 

Cocoanut 

meal 

19022 

12313 
1367.6 
2631.3 

26.6 
17.2 

1.9 

3.7 
32.9 

4.43 
15.23 
19.66 

3.4 


It  will  be  seen  that  but  slight  differences  occurred  in  the  average 
rations  eaten  by  the  different  lots  as  regards  the  amounts  of  the  differ- 
ent feeds,  the  dry  matter,  the  total  digestible  nutrients,  or  the  nutritive 


Bulletin  335]  COCOANUT  MEAL  FOR  DAIRY  COWS  253 

ratios.  Owing  to  the  large  amount  of  hay  and  the  small  amount  of 
silage  eaten,  the  rations  were  abnormally  high  in  digestible  protein, 
and  had  a  very  narrow  nutritive  ratio,  viz.,  1 :3.5  or  3.4.  As  this  was 
also  the  nutritive  ratio  of  the  cocoanut  meal,  it  remained  the  same 
for  the  rations  containing  either  two  or  four  pounds  of  this  oil  meal. 

An  examination  of  the  results  presented  in  the  table  will  disclose 
the  fact  that  the  average  amount  of  cocoanut  meal  eaten  during  the 
heavy  feeding  was  3.7  pounds,  and  not  4  pounds,  as  intended.  The 
reason  for  this  is  that  a  few  cows  refused  to  eat  the  full  amount. 
While  only  two  out  of  seventeen  cows  did  not  eat  the  2  pounds  of 
cocoanut  meal  daily,  seven  failed  to  eat  4  pounds,  the  smallest  average 
amount  eaten  by  a  cow  during  the  heavy  cocoanut  meal  feeding  being 
2.7  pounds  per  day.  Our  experience  suggests  that  nearly  all  cows 
will  eat  2  pounds  of  cocoanut  meal  daily,  but  that  a  considerable 
number  will  refuse  as  much  as  4  pounds  if  they  are  supplied  with 
a  palatable  grain  mixture  along  with  the  oil  meal.  It  is  possible  that 
the  full  amount  would  have  been  eaten  if  the  cocoanut  meal  had  been 
fed  wet,  as  is  being  done  by  some  farmers,  who  feed  this  meal  as  sole 
concentrate  in  large  amounts,  5  to  6  pounds  or  more  daily.  In  the 
experiments  under  discussion,  however,  no  special  effort  was  made  to 
induce  the  cows  to  eat  the  entire  allowance  of  cocoanut  meal ;  if  they 
persisted  in  leaving  some  of  the  meal,  the  daily  allowance  was  reduced 
by  a  pound  or  two,  and  the  regular  grain  mixture  correspondingly 
increased. 

Efficiency  of  Rations. — By  referring  to  the  production  of  the  cows 
as  shown  in  the  table  on  page  250,  and  the  data  for  feed  consumption 
given  above,  we  may  arrive  at  the  efficiency  of  the  different  rations 
as  shown  by  the  amount  of  dry  matter  or  digestible  matter  required 
for  the  production  of  one  hundred  pounds  of  milk  or  of  one  pound 
of  butter  fat.  The  following  statement  includes  the  data  furnished 
by  the  experiment  on  this  point.      «• 

Relative  Efficiency  of  Rations 

2  lbs.  4  lbs. 

Check  Cocoanut  Cocoanut 

Per  100  lbs.  of  milk:  lot  meal  meal 

Lbs.  dry  matter 181  192  202 

Lbs.  digestible  matter  105  114  121 

Per  lb.  of  butter  fat : 

Lbs.  dry  matter   42.9  41.2  42.3 

Lbs.  digestible  matter  24.9  24.5  25.3 

The  results  presented  in  the  table  show  that  there  was  no  appreci- 
able difference  in  the  relative  economy  of  feed  consumption  of  the 
three  rations  for  production  of  butter  fat,  while  for  milk  production 


254  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

the  grain  rations  containing  cocoanut  meal  proved  somewhat  less 
efficient  than  the  standard  grain  ration  fed.  One  pound  of  butter  fat 
was  produced  from  about  twenty-five  pounds  of  digestible  nutrients 
in  all  three  rations ;  if  the  amount  of  milk  produced  is  considered,  it 
will  be  seen  that  two  pounds  of  cocoanut  meal  gave  somewhat  lower 
results  than  the  check  ration,  and  four  pounds  of  coanut  meal  still 
a  little  lower.  In  view  of  the  fact,  however,  that  cocoanut  meal  is, 
as  a  rule,  cheaper  than  a  mixed  grain  ration  like  the  one  fed  in  this 
experiment  (composed  of  rolled  barley,  wheat  bran,  cottonseed  meal, 
and  dried  beet  pulp),  the  two  cocoanut  meal  rations  will  be  likely  to 
compare  favorably  in  economy  for  milk  production  with  the  ration 
fed  to  the  check  lot ;  as  regards  production  of  butter  fat,  these  rations 
will  be  found  still  more  economical  than  is  indicated  by  the  figures 
given  in  the  table. 

We  shall  now  give  a  brief  account  of  the  second  experiment  with 
cocoanut  meal  as  a  dairy  feed,  conducted  with  cows  in  the  University 
dairy  herd  during  the  summer  of  1920. 

SECOND  FEEDING  EXPERIMENT,   SUMMER  OF   1920 

This  experiment  was  conducted  with  similar  feeds  and  under 
similar  conditions  as  the  first  experiment.  The  plan  of  the  second 
experiment  differed  from  that  of  the  first  in  that  only  two  lots  of 
cows  were  selected,  which  were  fed  as  follows : 

Lot  A — Period  I,  regular  grain  mixture ;  Period  II,  grain  mixture 

plus  cocoanut  meal. 
Lot  B — Period  I,  grain  mixture  plus  cocoanut  meal;  Period  II, 

regular  grain  mixture  only. 

Alfalfa  hay  and  silage  were  fed  in  addition,  to  all  cows,  in  amounts 
similar  to  those  in  the  first  experiment.  The  grain  mixture  fed  to 
the  whole  dairy  herd,  including  the  experimental  cows,  was  as  follows : 
Wheat  brain,  120  pounds ;  rolle^barley,  140  pounds ;  dried  beet  pulp 
and  cottonseed  meal,  100  pounds  each.  The  grain  was  fed  in  the  pro- 
portion of  7  pounds  per  pound  of  butter  fat  produced ;  in  the  cocoanut 
meal  periods,  2  pounds  of  the  grain  allowance  were  replaced  by  cocoa- 
nut  meal  for  all  cows  except  those  fed  6  pounds  of  total  grain  or 
more,  which  received  3  pounds  of  cocoanut  meal  per  head  daily  in  the 
place  of  a  similar  amount  of  the  regular  grain  mixture. 

Twelve  cows,  six  in  each  lot,  completed  this  experiment,  which  was 
conducted  from  April  28  to  August  11,  1920,  a  period  of  fifteen  weeks. 
As  in  the  preceding  experiment,  every  effort  was  made  to  have  the 
two  lots  of  cows  as  nearly  uniform  as  possible  in  regard  to  all  factors 
that  influence  the  production  of  the  cows  and  the  length  of  the  lacta- 
tion period.    The  following  summary  gives  the  main  results  obtained 


Bulletin  335] 


COCOANUT    MEAL   FOR   DAIRY    COWS 


255 


in  the  experiment  as  regards  the  production  of  milk  and  milk  com- 
ponents. 

Summary  of  Eesults — Second  Cocoanut  Meal  Experiment 

Regular  Regular  grain 

grain  mixture  plus 

mixture  cocoanut  meal 

Total  milk,  lbs 18772.6  18992.4 

Milk  solids,  lbs 2334.3                               2366.3 

Butterfat,  lbs 684.23                               702.92 

Average  body  weight  of  cows,  lbs 1136                                  1133 

Feed  eaten,  lbs. 

Alfalfa  hay  15624  15624 

Silage 9152                                  9152 

Grain  mixture 4923.4                                3133.2 

Cocoanut  meal  1785.2 

The  production  of  milk  and  butter  fat  during  the  periods  when 
the  regular  grain  mixture  was  given  and  when  cocoanut  meal  was 
partially  substituted,  pound  for  pound,  for  this  mixture,  will  be  seen 
from  the  table.  It  will  be  noted  that  slightly  more  milk,  solids,  and 
butter  fat  were  produced  when  cocoanut  meal  was  fed  as  a  part  of 
the  grain  ration  than  when  the  regular  grain  mixture  alone  was  used. 
The  total  amounts  of  feed  eaten  with  the  two  rations  were  practically 
identical,  with  the  exception  of  the  grain  feed.  The  cocoanut  meal 
rations  therefore  proved  somewhat  more  efficient  than  those  containing 
the  regular  grain  mixture  only.  The  average  body  weights  of  the 
cows  were  likewise  practically  the  same  for  both  kinds  of  rations.  All 
the  cows  but  one  increased  in  weight  during  the  experiment,  which- 
ever ration  was  fed  last,  the  cocoanut  meal  ration  in  the  case  of  Lot  A 
or  the  regular  grain  mixture  in  the  case  of  Lot  B.  The  average  daily 
milk  yields  during  the  experiment,  with  average  composition  of  the 
milk  and  average  rations  eaten,  may  be  seen  below. 


Average  Yields  of  Milk  and  Milk  Solids 

Regular  Cocoanut 

grain  meal 

mixture  ration 

Average  daily  milk  produced,  lbs 29.8  30.1 

Milk  solids,  lbs 3.71  3.76 

Butter  fat,  lbs 1.09  1.11 

Average  composition  of  milk,  per  cent: 

Solids    12.5  12.5 

Fat 3.66  3.69 

Average  rations  eaten,  lbs. : 

Hay  24.8  24.8 

Silage    14.5  14.5 

Grain  mixture  7.7  5.0 

Cocoanut  meal  ....  2.8 


256  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

There  was  a  very  slight  improvement  in  the  average  quality  of  milk 
produced  during*  the  cocoanut  meal  periods  so  far  as  fat  content  is 
concerned.  If  the  data  obtained  for  the  individual  cows  are  scanned, 
it  is  found  that  five  cows  in  Lot  A,  on  going  from  the  regular  grain 
mixture  to  cocoanut  meal,  increased  from  .15  per  cent  to  .49  per  cent 
in  the  average  fat  content  of  the  milk,  and  one  cow  decreased  .20  per 
cent  (average  increase  for  the  lot,  .19  per  cent).  In  the  case  of  four 
cows  in  Lot  B,  the  fat  content  was  higher  on  the  cocoanut  meal  feeding 
during  Period  I  than  on  the  regular  grain  mixture  feeding  during 
Period  II  by  .01  per  cent  to  .31  per  cent,  the  milk  of  two  cows  in 
Period  II  being,  respectively,  .06  per  cent  and  .19  per  cent  lower  in 
fat  content  than  in  Period  I  (average  increase  for  lot,  .01  per  cent). 
The  regular  grain  mixture  was  therefore  unable  to  maintain  the  fat 
percentage  of  the  preceding  cocoanut  meal  feeding.  The  improvement 
in  percentage  fat  content  resulting  from,  or  coincident  with  the  feed- 
ing of  cocoanut  meal,  in  only  four  cases  out  of  twelve  amounted  to 
more  than  .3  per  cent,  and  on  the  average  for  all  cows  the  fat  content 
was  increased  only  .03  per  cent. 

While  the  changes  given  are,  in  most  cases,  too  slight  to  be  of 
much  practical  importance,  it  will  be  noted  that  they  are,  in  the  great 
majority  of  cases,  in  favor  of  the  cocoanut  meal  feeding,  and  the 
results  obtained  in  early  American  and  European  experiments  in 
regard  to  the  influence  of  this  oil  meal  on  milk  production,  as  well  as 
in  the  experiment  previously  referred  to,  are  therefore  corroborated.6 

The  quality  of  the  milk  produced  by  a  cow  does  not  vary  greatly 
under  normal  conditions  if  sufficient  feed  is  supplied  to  maintain 
normal  body  functions  and  an  even  body  weight.  Contrary  to  the 
opinion  of  many  dairymen,  it  is  not  as  a  rule  possible  to  change  per- 
manently in  a  marked  manner  the  per  cent  of  fat  in  the  milk  by  any 
definite  system  of  feeding,  or  by  the  use  of  special  feeds.  An  apparent 
exception  to  this  rule  is  furnished  by  a  few  feeds  especially  high  in 
fats,  and  the  results  obtained  in  the  two  experiments  described  and 
in  other  experiments  have  shown  that  cocoanut  meal  is  one  of  these 
feeds.  Palmnut  meal,  molasses,  and  malt  sprouts  have  also  been  found 
to  exert  a  similar  beneficial  influence  on  the  fat  content  of  the  milk, 
although  the  evidence  at  hand  with  regard  to  the  last  mentioned  feed 
can  hardly  be  considered  conclusive — a  matter  which,  however,  is  no 
longer  of  importance  in  view  of  the  disappearance  of  this  feed  from 
the  market. 


6  See  Mass.  Exp.  Sta.  Bulletin  155,  pp.  188-189,  July,  1914;  Fingerling,  Landw. 
Versuchs  Stationen  62,  p.  11;  71,  p.  273;  Morgen,  ibid.,  77,  p.  20;  Hansen,  Landw. 
Jahrb.  35,  p.  125;  Jour.  Southeast  Agr.  College,  Wye.,  Sept.,  1911,  p.  45. 


Bulletin  335]  COCOANUT   MEAL  FOR  DAIRY   COWS  257 

The  feeding  of  cocoanut  meal  in  the  experiment  under  discussion 
was  beneficial  also  as  regards  the  quantity  of  milk  produced.  The 
average  yield  of  milk  for  Lot  A  was  five  pounds  lower  than  the  yield 
on  the  regular  grain  mixture,  and  in  the  case  of  Lot  B  there  was  an 
average  loss  in  daily  milk  yield  of  6.2  pounds  daily,  on  going  from 
cocoanut  meal  to  the  grain  mixture.  In  the  case  of  Lot  A  there  was 
a  decrease  of  only  231.1  pounds  (16  per  cent)  from  the  first  week 
of  Period  I  (grain  mixture)  to  the  ]ast  week  of  Period  II  (cocoanut 
meal),  against  a  decrease  of  414.3  pounds  (28  per  cent)  during  the 
same  time  with  the  feeds  reversed.  This  indicates  that  the  statement 
previously  made  as  regards  the  tendency  of  cocoanut  meal  to  decrease 
the  natural  falling-off  in  milk  flow  due  to  the  progress  of  the  lactation, 
is  correct.  The  influence  of  the  cocoanut  meal  in  dairy  rations  may 
therefore  be  considered,  beneficial,  both  as  regards  the  flow  of  milk  and 
its  quality.  It  will  be  remembered  that  in  the  experiments  described, 
the  cocoanut  meal  was  introduced  as  part  of  and  compared  with 
common  grain  rations  fed  by  dairymen  in  this  State,  which  are  com- 
posed of  barley,  wheat  bran,  cottonseed  meal,  and  dried  beet  pulp. 
The  rations  of  cocoanut  meal  and  mixed  grain  feeds  therefore  proved 
not  only  equal,  but  somewhat  superior  to  these  standard  mixtures 
for  milk  production.  Furthermore,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  cocoanut 
meal  is  ordinarily  considerably  cheaper  than  these  mixtures  on  our 
feed  market  and  cheaper  than  any  of  the  components  of  the  mixtures 
except  cottonseed  meal  (see  page  246),  there  is  every  reason  to  take 
advantage  of  the  situation  and  to  use  this  oil  meal  as  a  component  part 
of  the  grain  rations  for  dairy  cows. 

COCOANUT  MEAL  FOR  OTHER  CLASSES  OF  FARM  ANIMALS 
Swine. — Cocoanut  meal  is  frequently  fed  to  fattening  hogs  in  this 
State,  being  generally  mixed  with  barley  or  other  hog  feeds.  In 
experiments  conducted  by  Thompson  and  Voorhies  at  the  University 
Farm,  ground  barley  and  cocoanut  meal  placed  in  self-feeders  were 
found  more  economical  than  ground  barley  fed  alone.  Cocoanut  meal 
proved  to  be  a  suitable  substitute  for  barley  in  feeding  market  hogs, 
if  given  in  the  proportion  of  one  part  to  three  or  four  parts  of  barley, 
by  weight.  A  larger  proportion  of  the  meal  proved  too  laxative  when 
fed  in  conjunction  with  alfalfa  pasture  or  cut  green  alfalfa. 

Poultry. — Cocoanut  meal  is  used  largely  as  a  component  of  com- 
mercial poultry  feeds  in  mixtures  with  other  concentrates.  In  the 
aggregate,  considerable  quantities  of  this  oil  meal  is  thus  used  in  the 
poultry  sections  of  the  State.  Such  investigational  work  as  has  been 
conducted  with  cocoanut  meal  by  the  Poultry  Division  of  the  College 
of  Agriculture  up  to  the  present  time  indicates  that  it  is  not  quite  so 


258  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

palatable  or  so  beneficial  physically  to  poultry  as  soybean  meal  or 
linseed  meal,  but  that  it  is  a  reasonably  good  high-protein  feed  and 
as  valuable  in  proportion  to  its  protein  content  as  other  oil  meals. 

Other  Farm  Animals. — The  use  of  cocoanut  meal  as  a  substitute 
for  oats  in  feeding  army  and  work  horses  has  been  previously  referred 
to.  It  may  also  be  fed  with  advantage  to  fattening  steers  and,  in  small 
amounts,  to  calves  and  sheep.7  In  the  case  of  all  these  classes  of  farm 
animals  it  should  be  fed  mixed  with  other  concentrates,  which,  as  we 
have  seen,  is,  generally  speaking,  the  best  method  of  feeding  all  oil 
meals. 

Aside  from  the  beneficial  influence  of  cocoanut  meal  on  milk  pro- 
duction, which  is  evidenced  by  the  results  of  the  experiments  discussed 
or  referred  to  in  this  bulletin,  there  are  other  good  reasons  for  includ- 
ing it  in  dairy  rations  or  rations  for  farm  animals  in  general.  The 
available  feed  supply  in  this  State  is  composed  of  relatively  few  feed- 
ing stuffs,  and  cocoanut  meal  furnishes  a  valuable  addition  to  the 
list.  It  comes  from  a  different  source  from  that  of  any  other  feed  on 
the  market,  thus  giving  dairy  farmers  the  benefit  of  more  competition 
among  dealers  and  a  greater  variety  of  feeds  from  which  to  select  the 
concentrates  required  in  their  feeding  operations.  The  latter  point 
is  of  special  importance  in  the  feeding  of  high-producing  animals, 
since  supplying  a  variety  of  feeding  stuffs  aids  in  maintaining  a  keen 
appetite  and  a  large  production,  and  contributes  to  good  general  health 
and  thriftiness.  A  variety  of  feeds  is  also  more  likely  to  furnish 
all  the  essential  elements  of  organic  and  mineral  substances  necessary 
for  normal  production  and  for  the  exercise  of  the  vital  functions  than 
can  be  obtained  from  single  feeds  or  feeds  of  only  two  or  three  different 
plant  sources.  It  is  therefore  recommended  to  include  cocoanut  meal 
in  the  rations,  not  to  the  exclusion  of  standard  feeds,  but  in  addition 
to  them,  when  it  can  be  obtained  at  a  reasonable  cost  compared  with 
that  of  other  concentrates,  i.e.,  at  a  price  warranted  by  its  actual 
nutritive  value,  as  has  heretofore  invariably  been  the  case. 

Cocoanut  meal,  under  ordinary  feeding  practices,  may  be  con- 
sidered somewhat  below  cottonseed  meal  or  linseed  meal  in  feeding 
value,  and  above  wheat  bran,  dried  beet  pulp,  or  molasses.  It  will, 
generally  speaking,  approximate  more  closely  to  barley  and  other 
cereals  in  feeding  value  than  to  any  other  class  of  feeding  stuffs,  and, 
as  suggested,  can  ordinarily  be  bought  at  a  lower  price  than  either 
this  class  of  feeds  or  the  mill  feeds.  By  including  cocoanut  meal  in 
the  rations  of  dairy  cows  and  other  farm  animals,  a  decrease  in  the 
cost  of  production  may  therefore  be  confidently  expected. 

7  California  Exp.  Station  Report,  1919,  p.  78. 


